Contact terminal



Apr. 19, 1923 H. KREISHELD CONTACT TERMINAL Filed NOV. 20, 1919 WITNESSES:

Patented Apr. 10, 1923.

lJNlTED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

" HENRY KREISHELD, OI EANSFIELP, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC PRODUCTS COHPANT, A CORPORATION OF HIOHIGAN.

' contact area of the two parts in actual en .con'rac'r TERMINAL.

Application tiled Iovember 20, 1919. Serial No. 889,264.

To all whom. it may concern: I v

Be it known that I, HENRY Knnrsnnm, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mansfield, in the county-of Richland' and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Im rovement in Contact Terminals, of which time following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical contact devices and particularly to such contact devices of the In -and-socket type as are used on electrical y eated apparatus.

The object of my invention is to provide a contact device of the above type that shall be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and that shall have greater contact surface and greater contact pressure between the co-operating parts than have pertained to devices of this character which have heretofore been employed. V

Heretofore, the socket members of such devices have consisted of a number of parts suitably secured together to engage and grip the plug member and, veryfrequently. the

gagement has been insufiicient to prevent overheating of the contact device.

In practicing my invention, I rovide a single-piece socket made from t in sheet metal, so cut and bent as to form a body portion and two longitudinally-extending end or contact portions, each contact portion having an arcuate contact surface." The end portions are so formed that one part thereof is resiliently supported by the body portion and, in turn resiliently supports the other art. Referring to the single sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a sheet-metal stamping from which the finished contact socket embodying my invention is made; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a finished socket and a co-operating contact plug, and Fig. 3 is a view, partly in section, of an insulating casin having two contact sockets mounted thereln; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a sheet metal stamping, from whicha modification of my device may be made,-.and 'Fig. 5 is a top plan view of a finished socket, made from the stamping shown in Fig. 4, and a co-operating contact plug.

Referring to Fig. 1, a contact-socket blank comprises a body portion 1, two side extensions 2, an end extension 3 and two end portions 4 and 5 that project from the body portion 1 oppositely to the portion 3 to form a relatively narrow slot 6 which extends from their outer ends to within a short distance of the body portion. The respective end portions 4 and 5 are divided into two para lel parts 4 and 4 and 5 and 5 by means of slots 7, parallel to the slot 6 and extending from near the outer ends of the portions 4 and 5 to the body portion 1. The parts 4" and 5 project longitudinall from the body portion and the parts 4 an 5 are connected to the outer ends of the parts 4 and 5 a Fi 2 shows the finished contact socket, in which the longitudinal extension 3 is disposed parallel to, and against, the body portion, it having been return-bent to this osition, a circular opening 8 having een drilled through it and the body portion and tapped to receive a binding screw 9 (Fig. 3). The lateral extensions 2 have been bent to positions at right angles to the body portion, on the same side thereof and parallel to each other, and their outer edges have been bent laterally, as indicated at 3, for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth. The end portions 4 and 5 have been transversely bent into arcuate form, each of the arts4" and 4"5 and 5 coveringapproximately one-fourth of the periphery of the co-operating contact plug 10. In forming the contact socket, the outer ends of the portions 4 and 5 may be so pressed toward each other that the adjacent edges of the parts 4* and 5 nearly or quite touch each other, whereby the diametral distance between theparts 4 and 5 and 4 and 5 will be less than the diameter of the plug '10. If the outer end of the contact socket be forced over the end of the plug 10, the outer ends of the portions 4, 4 and 5, 5 will be separated thereby. As the socket is pushed fartherupon the plug 10, the distance between the adjacent sides ,of the inner ends of the parts 4 and 5 will be inand 13 of a twin conductor cable 14 con-' nected to them by means of screws 9. The laterally bent edges 3 fit loosely into grooves 15 and serve to hold the contact sockets in position in the casing 11. A cylindrical opening 16 is rovided in the casing 11 to receive a bolt not shown) for clamping together two similar casing halves to form a complete casing.

Figs. 4 and 5 showa slightly modified form of contact socket. A sheet metal blank 17 comprises a body portion 18, ashort projection 19 and two relatively long projecting portions 20 and 21. The outer half of each of the portions 20 and 21 is transversely bent into trough shape, each portion covering approximately 180 of arc.- The outer part of each of the end portions 20 and 21 is then return-bent u on the inner part, at the lines 22, substantia ly to positions shown in Fig. 5. The end portions are then bent toward each otheralon the broken lines 23 until their. outer suriaces are substantially parallel and at angles of 90 with the surface of the body portion 18.

Fig. 5 shows the contact socket completely formed, the extension 19 having been return-bent into engagement with the body portion 18 and a circular opening 8 having been drilled through both portions and tapped to receive a binding screw 9. The

-outer ends of the parts 20 and 21 are bent outwardly, as indicated at 20 and 21, to

co-operate with grooves 15 in a 11 to hold the contact sockets therein, Pas indicated in Fig. 3. If the outer" end of the contact socket 17 is pushed'over the rounded end of the contact plug-'10, the distance between the outer ends of the portions 20 and 21 will be increased, while the distance between the inner ends will be slightly decreased. As the socket member 17 is pushed 1 farther upon the contact plug 10, the distance between the inner ends of the trough shaped arts will be-increased to conform to the diameter of the plug 10.

It may be noted that in the device shown in Fig. 2, the contact portions 4 and 5 are inherently resilient only, while the contact portions 4 and 5 are both inherently resilient and dependently resilient. In the device shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the contact portions are both inherently and dependently resilient, while the outer portions are inherently resilient only. of the co-operating surface of the plug and sockets are in engagement and the relatively high pressure between the co-operating members insures a low operatin temperature of the contact device. The unitary structure of the device permits of its being manufactured quickly and by sim le methods and insures the permanency o the relative positions of the various parts of the de vice.

While I have shown a specific structure of the device embodying my invention, various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of mv invention, and I desire that. only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed by the prior art or are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A unitary terminal device for electrical conductors comprising a body portion having three extensions, one of said extensions being return-bent against said body portion and two of said extensions being bent at right angles to said body portion on the same side thereof and parallel to each other, and a plurality of longitudinally slotted end portions, transversely bent to arcuate shape to form a tubular socket of circular cross section.

2. A unitary terminal socket comprisinga body portion and a plurality of extensions. one of said extensions being return bent against said body portion, two of said extensions being bent at right angles to said body portion on the same side thereof and parallel to each other and another extension having a central slot 'extending longitudinally from itsouter edge, and two laterally spaced parallel slots extending longitudinally from its inner edge, said extension being so bent transversely as to form a slotted tube of circular cross section.

- In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of November, 1919.

HENRY KREISHELD.

bubstantially all 

